Stories/Excerpts

Subjugate.

Oktavia stood against the light. Nightingale hums simulated the room, a shape of blood lotus forming out from her palms with a pop. There is nothing behind the wall except a space where the wind whistles, and the dead body of an engineer.

Her father.

Oktavia inhibited Elizabet by pulling her close, the depth of her scent inhaled like a coiling python ready to eat their prey. Her eyes, draping ice.

A wave formed between them, a struggling fear in the human. “You’re going to kill me.”

“I’m sorry, my dear.” Eyes sharp, a mixture of her cold features bore itself into her skull.

The bionic pressed down on her netrusion chip.

“What are you doing?”

“I am shutting down. Goodbye, Elizabet.”

“Wait—wait, please, there’s—”

“You did what I asked. Now we’re free.”

The hovercraft, which they were in, crashed.

Written for the dVerse prompt: Write a piece of flash fiction or other prose (not a poem) of up to or exactly 144 words, including the given line,

“there is nothing behind the wall
except a space where the wind whistles”
from “Drawings By Children” by Lisel Mueller.

The ending was not intended to be ironic or initially funny (even though, I laughed so hard when writing it). I had these characters created for awhile, actually, and I just needed to put them in some situation. Might run off with this idea with space-travel and wormholes, I don’t know. My NaNoWriMo goal is already a failure. 😀

43 thoughts on “Subjugate.”

  1. I might have laughed, too–be careful what you ask for, although I first read inhibited as inhabited Elizabet, which made me think first she was a demon.
    I’m also thinking of Hal singing “Daisy, Daisy.” 😀

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  2. Such powerful imagery in this one especially; “the depth of her scent inhaled like a coiling python ready to eat their prey. Her eyes, draping ice.” Very Novemberish, Lucy! 💝💝

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  3. I read “inhabited” too. This is grand Flash Fiction, Lucy; straight up wonderful. You tell a lot of story with dialogue and limited exposition, and this contrasts well to your “normal” dark poetry style.

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    1. Thank you so, so much, Glenn. I always make my writing style different with fiction; I still indulge in those dark themes but it is more direct and up front in contrast to my poetry and prose-poetry.

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  4. There’s more than one way to be free, this way being the darkest and I never saw it coming. Well told tale, Lucy, all the more because you leave us wanting more of the backstory.

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    1. Thank you so much, Dora. I’m also glad that you didn’t see it coming–I was a bit nervous about if the ending would fall flat or if it were predictable.

      As for backstory, I have it for the most part but I’m still piecing it together.

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  14. I agree with Glenn, Lucy, a lot of story with dialogue and limited exposition, which contrasts with your poetry style. I love the mix of Gothic and sci-fi (Sci-Goth?) and the surprises: the ‘shape of blood lotus forming out from her palms with a pop’ and the crashing hovercraft.

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